


Ice Cream Train

by Me_aGlorifiedPigeon



Series: The Fun in Dysfunctional - A Sanders Family Collection [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Broken Families, Brotherly Love, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Ice Cream, Prequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2020-10-21 07:28:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20689760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Me_aGlorifiedPigeon/pseuds/Me_aGlorifiedPigeon
Summary: Patton was good at being a big brother. Logan is sure he is much, much worse.He's actually pretty good.





	1. A Tradition Begins

**Author's Note:**

> In which I tried to write strictly fluff and I wound up tacking some angst on anyway.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton takes his brother to an ice cream shop to celebrate starting his freshman year. He doesn't take his next brother.

"All aboard the ice cream train!" Patton shouted, as he pulled up at the curb in front of the high school in Dad's minivan. Logan looked up in surprise from his textbook, spotting his brother grinning at him.

"Patton? Did you leave something in your last class?" Logan asked, sliding his textbook into his satchel backpack.

"I didn't, but I did leave my little brother at school!" Patton teased. Logan frowned.

"You only have six classes, whilst I have seven, you didn't leave me, so much as-"

"I'm joking, Lo-lo! Didn't you hear me? Ice cream train! Get in, or we'll miss the discount window!" Patton exclaimed. Logan huffed and began to walk toward the minivan. The middle window slid down and Janus's annoyed expression became clear.

"Get in, old man, you're taking forever," Janus complained. Logan let out a huff of a laugh.

"Where are the twins?" Logan asked. He assumed Virgil was with Mom at the flower shop, since he was still a few months off from being even two years old.

"They're with Dad at home. Apparently, a teacher had to break up another fight between them and another couple of students," Patton explained. "No ice cream for trouble makers, after all!"

Logan slid into the passenger seat, and tried to ignore the urge to lecture Janus on safety precautions when the boy leaned forward and hooked his chin on the seat to be part of their conversation.

"So are we going to Linette's?" Logan asked, with a small smile he normally reserved for his brothers. Patton grinned and pumped his arm like he was yanking on a train whistle.

"Choo-choo! Strap into the Linette's express, boys!" Patton cheered, as he steered the car into the street.

"Both hands on the wheel, Patton," Logan reminded stubbornly, and his older brother smirked and conceded.

"Say it with me boys! Chugga-chugga-chugga-chugga-"

"I am not making inaccurate train sound effects with you," Logan snorted. "I'm a freshman in high school now."

"And I'm a senior," Patton commented. "You're never too old to have a little childlike fun, Logiebear!"

"You're both too old for childlike fun," Janus commented, and Patton gasped dramatically.

"He's lying, Logan, tell me he's lying?" Patton asked dramatically. Janus snickered.

Logan merely adjusted his glasses and smirked. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Patton. To claim Janus is lying would be a falsehood itself, and I don't speak in falsehoods."

Patton gasped dramatically again, and clutched his heart. "I've been betrayed! By my own brother!"

"Brothers before brothers," Janus commented with his trademark snark, and all three brothers burst into laughter.

The rest of the car ride was pleasant enough. At one point, Patton asked Logan what he wanted to do for his birthday, which wasn't for two months, but Patton liked to know ahead of time. He was very good at planning ahead, and was always in charge of planning birthday events. When they finally reached Linette's, Janus practically jumped out of the car while Patton was still parking.

Inside the store, Logan got his usual order. Two scoops of french vanilla, one of chocolate, drizzled with caramel and chocolate syrups, inside a paper cup. Patton got his usual ridiculous pile of toppings on top of two scoops of chocolate ice cream in a paper cup. Janus didn't have a usual, and today he got a waffle cone of orange creme, double scoop.

"Did you want any sprinkles?" The attendant asked.

"I'm allergic to sprinkles," Janus stated.

"Falsehood," Logan corrected on impulse. Janus wrinkled his nose.

"I  _ dislike _ sprinkles," Janus corrected. Logan refrained from correcting him again. Janus had swamped his vanilla ice cream with sprinkles last time they'd come to Linette's.

Once they were sitting outside with their ice cream, Patton turned to Janus. "You're not supposed to lie, Janus, you made that man feel very stupid."

"He shouldn't feel stupid, he can't predict what someone's allergic to by looking at them," Janus huffed.

"Janus makes a good point," Logan agreed. Patton gave him an admonishing look, and Logan shrugged.

"Just because he shouldn't feel something, doesn't mean he won't. You should consider other people's feelings when you speak, Janus, it might help with the compulsive lying," Patton suggested. Janus frowned.

"Is this about Nancy again?" Janus grumbled.

"You had her convinced you're related to Queen Elizabeth and you go to England for summer break to visit! Yes, this is about Nancy," Patton scolded.

"That was a year ago," Janus grumbled. "I don't tell tall tales anymore."

"No, but you're still lying," Patton said.

"About  _ sprinkles _ ," Logan reminded, hoping to field any argument about to commence. "That's hardly as bad."

"It's a small thing now, but he's proven to have no qualms about lying about bigger things. Janus, your lying hurts people, okay? I don't mean to scold you, or guilt you, I just want you to be a little more mindful, okay?" Patton asked, stroking Janus's hair. The youngest of the three sighed and nodded.

"I'll try, Pat."

"Hey, I love you, okay?" Patton said, and Janus nodded. Patton grinned. "And I'm always gonna love you. Through thick and thin."

"What's that even mean?" Janus asked.

"I don't know. Logan, do you know?" Patton asked, turning to his younger brother.

Logan smiled. "I can find out, if you'd like?"

* * *

Logan dropped his head against his study guide. Dammit, goddammit, shit fucking-

"Logan?" Janus's voice cut through the air, and Logan looked up with narrowed eyes. Janus's scars were almost a year old now, but it still made Logan wince when he saw them. He fixed his gaze specifically on Janus's right shoulder.

"What do you need?" Logan asked. Janus shrugged.

"I'd appreciate it if you looked me in the eye. That'd be nice," Janus commented, and Logan flinched again, finally looking his little brother in the eyes. Janus smirked a little sadly.

"I'm in freshman year now. Ice cream train, right?" Janus asked. Logan blinked.

"Is that what that was for?" Logan asked. Janus huffed out a mixture between a scoff and a laugh.

"Figures he didn't even tell you. Yeah, he said he wanted to do it for all of us. What a joke," Janus scowled.

Logan frowned. "I'm sure I can make time-"

"No, it's fine. I didn't want to go to Linette's anyway," Janus muttered. "You're busy. I'm going to go before Virgil comes looking for me."

"No, it's fine, I- I can make time for Linette's," Logan insisted, standing up. He wasn't getting anywhere in his studies anyway. "We can bring Virgil and the twins along. Make a day of it."

Janus smiled halfheartedly. "You'd really do that for me?"

"Brothers before studies," Logan said. Janus snorted.

"It's supposed to rhyme, Lo. You completely missed the point of the joke," Janus commented, and Logan grinned.

"Apologies. I'll be sure to brush up on my colloquialisms before our next conversation, then," Logan assured. He slung an arm around his brother's shoulders. "At least we're still together, hmm? Through thick and thin."

"Yeah," Janus said, his voice thick with emotion. He leaned his head on Logan's shoulder. "Thick and thin."


	2. Ice Cream Train 2: Electric Bugaloo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janus took Roman and Remus to Linette's for their freshman year too.
> 
> Nobody took Virgil.

Virgil, sweetie, are you going to Linette's tomorrow?" Mom asked. Virgil looked up from his chopping.

"What do you mean?" Virgil asked.

"Well, tomorrow is the first Friday of your freshman year, isn't it?" Mom prompted, and Virgil blinked.

"Oh. Oh right, the uh. The tradition," Virgil muttered, turning back to the onions. "I don't know. I guess I will."

"Okay, sweetie, just let me know before you leave for class in the morning. I'll give you some money, okay?" Mom asked. Virgil nodded and smiled, shrugging. He glanced down at his clothes, the only things he really had of his brothers anymore.

He was wearing some of Remus' old jeans, pitch black. When he'd gotten them, he'd torn some holes in the knees. More his style. He was also wearing Janus's old denim jacket, the grungy holes in the back a relic of Janus's time with the Serpents. His shirt was one of Logan's polos. And Roman's old gold combat boots, of course. Roman was the only one with too many shoes to wear them all out.

It wasn't that he couldn't start hunting down clothes that fit his own aesthetic these days. It was just that... his brothers weren't around so much anymore. And they were always pretty smiley when they saw Virgil wearing their stuff. Besides, he didn't need his own wardrobe if he still fit in their stuff.

He just missed their presence. The kitchen was too quiet, even with Mom bustling about and the steady chopping of the knife.

* * *

"Why are we even bothering? Remus is only in high school because of my hard work!" Roman huffed, fourteen years old and finally a freshman.

"Hey, I don't copy off you all the time," Remus snapped. Janus rolled his eyes.

"You're both being stupid. Logan is taking the last few days of his summer break to take us to Linette's for this, if you screw it up, I'm disowning you," Janus snarked.

"Jan, are we gonna do this for my freshman year too?" Virgil asked. He was seven years old at the time, and couldn't quite imagine the future without his big brothers around. They just seemed so constant, in and out, sure, but always coming back in the end.

"Of course we are, Vee," Janus smiled, tousling Virgil's hair. "I wouldn't miss your freshman year, you're my babiest brother."

"If we miss it, then I give you permission to glue Roman's tiara collection onto my bone collection!" Remus proclaimed, scooping Virgil up in a tight hug. Virgil squealed as his feet left the floor.

"No way!" Roman scowled. "Give him permission to do something else, you can't have my tiaras!"

Roman and Remus loudly began arguing, and Janus rolled his eyes. Virgil was set back down on his feet, and he couldn't help his large grin.

He couldn't remember Janus's trip to Linette's other than a huge bowl of ice cream, and he'd been told he wasn't present to Logan's, so he was excited to go this time around. After all, they went to Linette's for lots of occasions, and he loved the place.

* * *

He didn’t remind his mother in the morning to give him some money. No, instead she and Dad got a call from somewhere in the middle of the country from Janus, asking for bail money. All thoughts of Virgil’s first Friday in high school went flying out the window, and Mom turned to him and said, “Will you be okay visiting Remus by yourself today?”

”Not a problem,” Virgil said with a strained smile.

It wasn’t. Really, it wasn’t a problem, he had visited Remus by himself before. So he went down to the shelter, and he talked to Nancy at the reception desk, and he wandered through the familiar hallways.

"Oh hi, Virgil!" One of the patients greeted. Virgil smiled wryly and waved.

"Virgil! How was high school?" Another patient asked.

"You remembered I started today?" Virgil asked, surprised.

"Remus wouldn't shut up about it all week, silly!" A third patient teased.

His hair was ruffled by the oldest woman, the first one to have greeted him. She'd been in and out of the center for years, admitting herself whenever she felt she'd broken her sobriety. He smiled at her. "Go see your brother now, sweetheart, he's got you a present."

Virgil couldn't help his large grin as he made his way towards the game room. They always met up there under the watchful eye of Remus' main therapist. He entered the room and a party popper blew up in his face.

"Surprise!" Remus cried out. Virgil let out a startled laugh. He took in all the decorations, bright balloons, some streamers, and two quarts of ice cream with spoons.

"Is this Linette's?" Virgil asked, staring at the logo for their family's favorite ice cream shop right on the front of the quart buckets. "What's all this for?"

"You finished your first week of high school, Virgey. I'm not gonna let you slip on by without some Linette's. It's a family tradition," Remus proclaimed. Virgil sniffled, and realized he had tears on his cheeks.

"You're the best brother, Remus. You know that, right?"

Remus pulled Virgil into a hug. "I do my best, Vivi."

"Come on, let's have some ice cream, and then I'll cream you a in MarioKart," Virgil joked, wiping the tears off his cheeks.

"No way, When Scary Met Sally, I'm gonna be the one who creams  _ you _ !"


End file.
